Conscious brushing
Oro-dental health parallels cardiac health. Poor oral hygiene from neglect or improper oral care does not only lead to disgusting halitosis (bad breath) and dental carries/gingivitis, but also to increased risk for heart attack and stroke. The correlation between oral health and cardiovascular health is well established.
Performing what I term conscious brushing is vital. Conscious brushing is a method of dental care that provides the greatest chance of cleaning all the teeth, gums, tongue, and the whole mouth. The individual focuses and concentrates totally on flossing all the inter-dental (between teeth) crevices, and brushing each tooth consciously, making sure no tooth is left untouched, the top and all reachable sides of each tooth.
I prefer a soft brush and toothpaste with baking soda and peroxide, but most dental pastes are acceptable. The gums and the entire mouth are brushed gently, including the throat. Using a tongue scraper, from all the way back, forward to the tip, removes bacteria loaded thick mucus. The tongue is a great major source of halitosis. Gurgling helps flush out food particles in between teeth. The final step is the use of mouth rinse, preferably with stabilized chlorine dioxide, like Therabreath in the U.S. and OraCare in the Philippines. The less expensive alternative is to add a teaspoon of salt or two tablespoonful of hydrogen peroxide to a glass of water and use this as a mouth rinse, at least twice a day. And visit to your dentist every 6 months, or more often if needed.
Food for the brain
With the scary threat of developing Alzheimer’s dementia, most everyone wonders what could be done to ward off this terrible nightmare, a disease worse than any other, even cancer, even death. The severe toll is not only on the individual but on the entire family, especially the spouse. While the Alzheimer’s syndrome is not totally known, especially on how to fully prevent it or treat it, one thing is clear: our diet affects our brain, our heart, and our whole being. Currently, plant-based diet (rich in polyphenols, flavanoids, and other antioxidants) is the now evidence-based approach to disease prevention and in some cases, to cure, and even to maximize longevity, as stated in the book, Let’s Stop “Killing” Our Children (philipSchua.com), which is listed in the U.S. Library of Congress. This primer on healthy lifestyle starting from the womb and in the crib to protect DNA and thus prevent major illnesses as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, stroke, Alzheimer’s and even cancer, from ever occurring when children grow up, adds daily exercise, abstinence from tobacco, vaping, illegal drugs, adhering to a disciplined approach to alcohol, and stress management with week-end breaks and regular vacation/staycations with friends and family. The simple strategy is to fill up 3/4 of your plate with vegetables of various colors, some fruits and nuts, and the remaining 1/4 with fish (wild-caught, not farm-raised), chicken, without the skin, or beef or pork (not more than 12 ounces). Abstaining from red meat and processed meats (bacon, hot dogs, sausages, etc.) is a healthier option, to reduce the risk for heart attack, stroke, T2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and even cancer. Most cancers, like pancreatic and colon cancers are linked to eating red meat.
Soft drinks are slow-acting poison
Soft drinks in general, cola or uncola; diet or regular, caffeinated or flavored or not, are all toxic to the body, especially to children. These beverages increases the risk for metabolic syndrome, a cluster of medical conditions that leads to the development of high blood pressure, T2 diabetes, heart attack, and stroke. The effective use of cola drinks to unplug blocked sink drain or toilet or its use to clean car carburetors illustrates the abrasiveness of this beverage. Imagine what it does to our body when we ingest them. The harmful effects take years so it is easy to not pay attention to the health warnings from the medical community. Taking this slow-acting poison ourselves and allowing our children to do the same is irrational, careless, and endangering the health of the entire family. The healthiest drink is still clean, unadulterated, filtered water —and less expensive too.
Our filthy environment
It might be surprising to some that our whole environment, our entire home, office, public areas, are literally filthy, becoming evident when the various surfaces are tested and cultured for germs and examined under the microscope. We constantly live and cohabitate with bacteria, viruses, fungi, molds, parasites, etc.; from the day we were born and have developed a certain level of tolerance of them. That’s because our immune system has adapted to our Mother Earth. When our immunity goes down, through poor nutrition or care, or illnesses, or immuno-suppressed by chemo/radiation treatment for cancer, or by AIDS, or when born with immune deficiency syndrome, the dose of these germs around us could over power us and cause diseases. Hand washing, or bathing, does not eliminate the germs in us; they merely reduce the dose to a level that our individual immune system is able to handle and prevent illnesses. Even surgeons brushing their hands for 10-15 minutes in preparation for surgery still has residual germs in their hands, the reason why they follow this up with alcohol or betadine soak. All our rooms at home are teeming with bacteria, especially the kitchen, more than our toilet, believe it or not. This why personal cleanliness is utmost, and cleaning our home regularly, daily for the kitchen and bathrooms, more intensely every week, is important in warding off contamination and diseases. I personally stay away from chemical cleansing agents, which has some health and ecological hazards. I use a new modified quadruple 5 formula for a concoction as a home-made cleansing spray agent: 50 cc regular vinegar, 50 cc alcohol, 5 cc dishwashing soap, mixed with 500 cc water, poured into two spray bottles. This could be used on any surface anywhere in the house, countertops stove, microwaves, refs, etc. Vinegar and alcohol kill bacteria, viruses, fungi an molds, and some parasites; and are safer, cheaper, and readily (refill) available than chemical cleansing agents sold in stores.
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Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: [email protected]
